Sanctuary for Families presented Davis Polk with the 2008 Abely Pro Bono Award at the Twelfth Annual Abely Awards Ceremony in September 2008. The Abely Pro Bono Award recognizes the contributions of extraordinarily dedicated lawyers and staff who have worked to improve the lives of Sanctuary's clients and honors Maryellen Abely, one of Sanctuary's first pro bono attorneys. Maryellen Abely, an associate at Davis Polk from 1988 to 1995, died in 1995 after a long battle with cancer. The Abely Award Ceremony celebrates Maryellen Abely's life and the contributions of pro bono lawyers, law students and legal assistants, whose efforts enable Sanctuary for Families to serve thousands of victims of domestic violence each year.

Through the Volunteers of Legal Service Women's Prison Project, our lawyers visit Taconic Correctional Facility to counsel incarcerated women on issues relating to custody, visitation and child support.

Through a clinic-like program with the New York City Family Court, our lawyers assist pro se litigants with their family law-related questions. Our lawyers meet with the pro se parties in half-hour individual sessions at Brooklyn and Manhattan Family Courts to assist them with child support, paternity, visitation, custody and guardianship questions.

We also handle family law matters (custody, orders of protection and visitation) on behalf of victims of domestic violence and their children. Our clients are referred by inMotion, Sanctuary for Families and various neighborhood legal services offices.

In February 2009, inMotion honored counsel Nancy Ludmerer with its 2009 Commitment to Justice Award for her exemplary work on behalf of victims of domestic violence.